Means for attaching flexible roofing material to car-roofs.



a No. 761,I38* PATBNTED MAY 31, 1904.-

O. S. 'BIRD & Pi R. ALLEN. MEANS FOR ATTAOHING FLEXIBLE ROOFING MATERIALT0 OARROOFS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 26. 1901.

NO MODEL.

all,

UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. BIRD AND PHILIP R. ALLEN, OF EAST WVALPOLE, MASSA- CHUSETTS,ASSIGNORS TO F. W.

MASSACHUSETTS, A FLRM.

BIRD & SON, OF EAST WALPOLE,

MEANS FOR ATTACHING FLEXIBLE ROOFING. MATERIAL TO CAR-ROOFS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,138, dated May 31,190 1. Application filed November 26, 1901. Serial No. 83,737. (Nomodel.)

To aLZ whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat we,'CHARLEs S. BIRD and PHILIRR. ALLEN, citizens of theUnited States I of America, residing at East W'alpole, in the county ofNorfolk and State of Massachusetts,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for AttachingFlexible Roofing Matel'ial Car-Roofs, f'which the following is aspecification. s

This invention relates to freight-car roofs, I the object being toprovide in roofs of this class which combine a subroof and an outer roofseparated more or less one from the other, whereby an open space isformed between said two roofs, improved means for preventing waterwhichfrom any cause shall have entered'said chamber from enteringthe carthrough said subroof, and, furthermore,

said two roofs, of improved means or devices looselyengaging the bordersof said material and holding the same in place, said material serving,as described, to prevent the passing of any water onto the subroofthereunder and resisting breakage or other damage by reason of the carmovements referred to above.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is aperspective view of a portion of a freight-car roof and a part of theside of the car adjoining the caves of said roof, illustrating a roofconstruction embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalview on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3,Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a sectional view on line 4 4:, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, B indicates the ordinary outer car-roofing;a, a part of the side of the car; 6, a part of one end thereof, and 0one of the transverse roof-supports under the same. The main or sub roofd is of the usual construction and presents a clear upper surface uponwhich are laid the subrafters 6, extending from the unexposed face ofthe inner fascia-board a." and having in the opposite borders thereoflongitudinal slots f, upwardly inclinedfrom the surface of the sub orinner roof and the borders of the rafter inwardly for receiving looselytherein the longitudinal borders of the strips g of the roofing materialand holding the same in an upturned position, as below described and asillustrated clearly in Figs. 1 aud t. Said roofing material ispreferably ofthick impermeable paper having such flexible nature aspermits it to partake of the warping or swaying movements of'a car whilein motion without tearing'or breaking the same. Improved means are alsoherein provided for holding said strips of roofing material in place onthe roof and for retaining the lower free ends thereof, which extend ina downwardly-bent position'over the face of the inner fasciaboardw'between the two fascia-boards m (0 for the free delivery of water andcinders therefrom, said lower end or ends being free of any fixedattachment whatever to the roof or other parts thereunder either by thelower end thereof or at any point between said lower end and the ridgeof the roof, and, furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4, care is taken toprovide sheets of said strips 9 of such width that the longitudinalborders thereof shall not strike the bottom of the said slotsf in theborders of the subrafters c and pre Vent in any measure said strips fromlying flatly against the subroof, as shown in Figs. 2. 3, and 4, andthereby guarding against the entry of wind thereunder and the consequentdanger of lifting the strip from the roof. The upper extremities of saidroofing strips g overlap on the ridge of the roof, as shown in Fig. 3,and said extremities are secured one upon the other and to the roof onthe ridge-line (see Fig. 3) by a block k, whose under surface conformsto the opposite roof inclines at that point. Said block may be securedin said position either, as shown, by a nail or by a screw passingthrough the block and the overlapping ends of the placed in case ofneeded repairs.

roofing material and into the subroof thereunder, the object being to,provide a single fastening, serving for both of the upper ends of saidstrips, which is easily removed and re- An essential feature of thisinvention consists in the means employed for retaining the lower ends ofsaigl roofing-strips g in proper position between the inner and outerfascia-boards w and 00', whereby said lower ends are not fixedly securedto any part of the structure at or near the eaves, but are free for moreor less move ment relative to the car parts thereunder, and thus are notsubject to any injury from said warping motions of the car; nor can saidunsecured ends of the roofing-strips be displaced by wind, but areretained in the downwardlyinclined position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Themeans employed for retaining the lower ends of said strips 9 continuallyin said. positions on the car-roof are as follows: On the side of theinner fascia-board w and between the ends of the subrafters a are fixedin any suitable manner one or more strip-retaining blocks 00, betweenthe upper ends of which and the adjoining side of said inner fasciaboardis formed a recess a, (see Fig. 2,) which receives loosely thedown-hanging lower end; of the'roofing-strip g, as shown'in Figs. 1 and1 2. Thus'it will be seen that however strongly the Wind may blowupwardly between saidf two fascia-boards the lower end of the roofing- 1strip cannot become displaced thereby, since the first movement of saidlower end under a wind force would be against the sides of said blocks,and it would be there arrested. Furthermore, the engagement of theborders of the lower end of the roofing-strip in the lower ends of theslots f of the subrafters e serves to cooperate with said blocks 0 forholding the lower end .of the said roofing -.-s trip in place, as shown:in Figs. 1 and 2, against upward movement or damage by a wind forceentering and moving upwardly between said inner and outer fascia-boards.The width of the openspace between said fascia -boards, which issubstantially that of the thickness of said blocks 0, affords amplespace through which water or other matter may be freely discharged fromthe roof of the car.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

In a car-roof construction embodying an inner and an outer roof, raftersseparating said roofs extending from side to side of the car over theapex of the inner roof, having grooves inone or more borders thereof,which grooves incline upwardly from the borders of said rafters; sheetsof roofing material extending between said rafters from side to side ofthe car and overlapping across the ridge of the inner roof havingupwardly-inclined borders entering said rafter-grooves; a pin locatedcentrally between two sides of the sheets at the ridge of the roof tohold the sheets against endwisemovement while permitting the sheet oneach side of the ridge to swing more or less on said pinas a pivot,together with means to hold the downturned outer edges of the sheetsloosely against the side of the car without attaching them thereto.

CHARLES s. BIRD. PHILIP R. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

HENRI E. DAVENPORT,

WM. R. MGNEIL.

